Maharashtrian Poha Recipe

The quintessential Maharashtrian breakfast staple the ‘Kande Pohe’. My Bengali husband can’t go a week without having it. The Marathi mulgi in me is so happy that he enjoys eating Maharashtrian food. (Secret: I love eating vegetarian Bengali food more than him. More on this in other posts.)

It is a versatile dish that transforms itself into a perfect meal with the addition of several vegetables. You can make it your own by adding whatever veggies you like. On days where we are too lazy to cook elaborate meals and don’t wish to order in, Poha comes to our rescue. 

Poha means flattened rice. You get Poha in different thickness levels. For this recipe, we will be using medium thickness. You will find several poha recipes which call for different ingredients. I am sharing with you the poha recipe that I grew up eating. By far, this is the simplest version of the Poha recipe I know. 

Just follow this simple Maharashtrian poha recipe to give a lovely start to your day. This hearty dish is simple to make, but I still get many complaints of the Poha turning too mushy, too dry or hard even. I have shared some tips that will help you make fluffy and delicious Maharashtrian poha.  

Maharashtrian Pohe Recipe:

You can also view the poha recipe video.

Yield: 3 people

Poha Recipe Ingredients:

Poha (medium thickness) – 3 cups

Onions (large) – 1 (Use 2 if medium size) 

Peas – 1/3 cup (Frozen or blanched fresh peas)

Green Chillies – 2

Rai/ Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Hing/ Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Haldi/ Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp 

Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Oil – 2 to 3 Tblsp 

Salt – 2 tsp (but adjust as per your taste)

Sugar – 1 1/2 tsp (optional but recommended)

Method for preparing kande pohe: 

1. In a deep pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. 
2. Now add finely chopped chillies and curry leaves. Saute it for a few seconds.
3. Now add the hing powder/ asafoetida and mix well.
4. Add the chopped onions and mix well. Cover and cook on low to medium flame.
5. While the onions are cooking, do rinse the poha in a colander/ strainer. Keep it aside. 
6. Check the onion. The onions should be soft and translucent. We do not want to brown them. 
7. Add turmeric powder to the cooked onions. Mix well.
8. Now toss in the blanched peas and mix. (If you are using frozen peas no need to blanch them. 
9. Let the peas cook for few minutes. 
10. Meanwhile, carefully fluff up the rinsed poha. Add salt and sugar to it and mix well. 
11. Add the poha to the onion mixture. 
12. Gently mix until the poha is well coated. 
13. Add finely chopped coriander leaves. 
14. Squeeze lime juice and mix. 
15. Switch of the flames, cover and let it sit for 2 minutes. This step will ensure you have soft fluffy poha. 
16. Serve hot. 

Tips for making soft fluffy poha: 

1. Always test the poha beforehand. Especially when living outside India, we make do with what we have. Rinse little poha and let it sit for a few minutes. If the poha is still dry to touch, try sprinkling some more water. 
2. If you still have slightly dry poha or realise it is still dry after mixing it with onion mixture, then sprinkle little water and gently mix. Cover it and cook on low-medium flame. Let the poha steam for a few minutes. This step often resolves any thick/ dry poha issues. 
3. Mushy poha is often a result of soaking it or using too much water to rinse it. So ensure you do not soak the poha in a bowl. While rinsing, you want to ensure that it is done only to ensure poha is slightly wet. 

Other Poha Recipe Variations:

1. If adding peanuts, fry the peanuts before adding onions. 
2. You can add carrots, potatoes, cauliflower etc. You can add any vegetable to make it into a meal. 
3. You can garnish it with freshly grated coconut or sev too.